Agenda item

The Superintendent of West Ham Park & City Gardens to be heard.

The Committee received a verbal update from the Superintendent of City Gardens and noted the following:

Finance

The City Garden budget was in line with agreed budget profiles.

Staff

A recently recruited assistant gardener had started today.

City, London and Britain in Bloom Campaign

The City’s in Bloom judging had been taking place over the last couple of weeks arranged by the Friends of City Gardens. We have received ninety applications, quadrupling the applications from previous years. Nominations and entries had been received from schools, community groups, businesses and housing estates.

The City-wide entry had been externally judged by the London in Bloom judges last week, and we are looking forward to receiving the Britain in Bloom judges on the 29^th July, having been entered into the ‘Champion of Champion’ category of the RHS campaign. Results would be announced at award ceremonies in September and October respectively.

Gardens

Barbican Estate, Beech Gardens - City Gardens, working in partnership with the Barbican Estate office would be organising two consultation events with Professor Nigel Dunnett, who had prepared concept designs for the podium area. The proposed plant designs reflected the differing bed locations, would provide seasonal interest, biodiversity and assist with improved air quality. The gardens would be planted before March 2015 by the City Gardens team and volunteers from the Barbican estate.

Garden Audio Information - as part of an audio project, volunteers and City Gardens staff have prepared audio information about nine of our gardens which could be accessed via an audio Boo link and QR codes displayed on notice boards and signs in the gardens.

The Literacy Trust had displayed a number of benches in gardens and open spaces across the City, each bench was illustrating a different book and some have been designed by authors. The benches would be displayed temporarily until September.

Volunteering

Open Squares Weekend 14/15 June – Friends of City Gardens and volunteers ran a plant stall, serving teas and coffees in Postman’s Park and a treasure hunt in Bunhill Fields. Feedback from visitors was very positive.

Hahahopscotch - the Friends were awarded a small grant to pay for Hahahopsctoch, a play activity organisation to facilitate a Victorian family games day in Bunhill on the 30^th July. The free event would include sack races, egg and spoon, tug of war, storytelling and a treasure hunt. Information regarding the event was on the website and posters displayed on notice boards in the gardens.

London Local Area Agreement Performance Reward Grant.

The Friends of City Gardens had won a £15,000 from the London Local Area Agreement Performance Reward Grant, the grant to be spent over the next two years, would pay for an ecologist to asses our Biodiversity sites, training volunteers to undertake wildlife surveys and support the implementation of the City’s next five year biodiversity plan.